History
How many times was writing invented?
Writing was invented independently at least three or four times: in Mesopotamia and Egypt (c. 3300 BC), China (c. 1250 BC) and Mesoamerica (by c. 600 BC).
Source: Woods (ed.), Visible Language (2010).
Context
Independently at least three or four times: in Mesopotamia and Egypt around 3300 BC, in China around 1250 BC, and in Mesoamerica by about 600 BC.
Whether Egypt borrowed the idea from Mesopotamia is debated, which is why the count is three or four. Most other scripts descend from one of these.
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